04x21 - Protocol

[bunniefuu]

ELIZABETH: All right, here's the plan.

I... am going to eat

and hydrate like crazy

until sunrise.

Surf that wave till around : ,

when I will become

very hungry and thirsty.

Not to mention edgy
from lack of caffeine.

Thanks for that.

Then, you know, I'll just
ride it out till sundown.

My guests and I will...

break the fast and commence
iftar dinner by eating

the traditional three dates.

At which point, informed by a
tiny bit of personal experience,

I'll give a few remarks about Ramadan.

You know, you could talk about the
mental and spiritual fortitude

it requires, the...

the solidarity it engenders
with the hungry and deprived

- around the world.
- And then...

I can stuff my face
with a bunch of kabobs.

(CHUCKLES)

Yeah, easy-peasy.

You don't think I can make it.

Dare I bring up the infamous
Florida road trip of aught-six?

Not if you want to have
sex in the next month.

H-Hey, hey, I...
if you want, go for it,

but I'm just saying
if things get hairy,

don't be a martyr... no pun intended.

Do you know who held the
first iftar in Washington?

Thomas Jefferson, .

That's right.

- Do you know what Jefferson didn't do?
- Fast.

That's right.

Which means that I am about to outdo

one of our Founding Fathers.

Why don't you chew on that, Jefferson.

What are you doing?

Buddy system... we'll fast together.

I really scared you with that
no-sex comment, didn't I?

(CHUCKLES) Just eat your eggs.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

No.

- No, no, no.
- Okay, I-I know that you're fasting.

- I just wanted to be sure...
- That I wasn't going to bail?

(LAUGHS): You know, I'm starting
to think those closest to me

really don't know me at all.

It's just, you know I don't
like to be caught up short.

I do. And I wanted to talk
to you about exactly that.

But... first, to be clear,

that's the last I want
to see of that today.

No purse muffin?

Oh. Enjoy it. Thanks.

Okay, about the iftar.

Uh, yes. Jay is into the final details

with the Chief of Protocol's Office.

I want you to take over.

Oh.

Okay, sure.

Uh...

is this because Jay thinks

Cyril and his team are too uptight?

Because I personally think
all they're trying to do

is get critical details right
to better facilitate diplomacy.

I mean, if that makes
them sniffy, then...

- call me sniffy, too.
- Which is why

I think that you would make
a great fit over there.

You're still planning to
fire me in six months?

I fire because I love.

Move up or move out, Blake.

- Ticktock.
- Yes, ma'am.

I know how important this dinner is,

- so I won't let you down.
- I know you won't.

Sniffy.

Mm-hmm.

So, tonight's invitees
will include staffers

of the Muslim faith,
local community leaders

- and some special guests.
- Yeah, inspiring charity founder,

hero cop, adorable science girl.

And of course,

our guest of honor,
Turkish foreign minister

Hakan Uzun and his family.

Obviously, U.S.-Turkish relations

are at an all-time low.

Whatever our personal feelings
are about Turkey's slide

toward autocracy under
President Kozlu,

they are a NATO ally

and a critical strategic partner.

Ma'am, again, if my actions
with the refugees from Abkhazia

- Kat.
- contributed to our current issues

with Turkey, I am truly sorry.

Nevertheless...

we need to get the
relationship back on track.

JAY: Well, we're hoping that this
dinner will be a good start.

I've been in communication
with the Office of Protocol

to make sure that we get all
the details just right.

I am handing the last-minute liaising

with Protocol over to Blake.

Really?

Yes.

I mean, you know,
I accept... your decision.

Well, I for one am looking
forward to working with them.

Great. Here's some changes
to the seating chart.

- Buckle up.
- Excuse me, ma'am,

you're needed in the
White House right away.

Jay and Kat, walk with me, please.

We're getting reports in from Iraq

that a group of ISIL dead-enders
have seized control

of Fakhiri Dam.

They're threatening to blow it up.

My God, millions of people depend
on that dam for water and power.

Yeah, and most of them
will be in the path

of the flood wave if it collapses.

My God, we're talking
about massive levels

of devastation from Mosul to Baghdad.

Well, if they haven't
blown it up already,

- they must have demands, right?
- I don't know. I'll know more

when I get to the White House.
Thank you.

m*llitary options?

Not great, I'm guessing.
We need ideas.

I'll call you from the car. Excuse me.

- KAT: Understood.
- Yes, ma'am.

RUSSELL (SIGHS): Oh, man.

The situation with the dam in Iraq

is even worse than we thought.

Well, you know what else is
even worse than we thought?

(SIGHS): My blood pressure.

The aptly named Dr. Stern
made that very clear.

Because you're not doing
anything about it.

I take beta-blockers,

I don't eat anything I like...

You heard her.

You need to lower your
stress level dramatically.

I golf. Sometimes.

To arm-twist congressmen.

That's hardly the relaxation practice

she was talking about.

'Course, you know what I think.

- Oh, here we go.
- You want to live?

- Quit.
- (SIGHS): Carol...

Retire to a cabin by a lake

- in Vermont like we always talk about...
- You know I can't do that right now.

...while you still have
some good years left, Russ.

Do you understand what's
happening in Iraq today? Do you?

Don't you crisis-guilt me, okay?
I operate on children.

If we don't handle this right,
hundreds of thousands of people

- could die.
- And you could be one of them.

CAROL: I need to hear
a real plan here.

Yoga, Pilates,

sensory deprivation t*nk...

- That sounds awful.
- People say it's relaxing!

(CHUCKLES) And here's your
apple-cheeked enabler.

Honey, she saved my life.

Why are you giving him coffee?

RUSSELL: Look, I love you,

I hear you, and I'm into it, okay?

Hey.

Okay?

Tell Stevie I'm sorry.

So, find you some kind of
relaxation activity. On it.

That I'll stick with...
that's very important.

Options by this afternoon
would be appreciated.

- Absolutely.
- Keep this between us, will you?

I don't want anyone getting the
idea there's blood in the water.

- Of course.
- Thank you.

Oh.

I don't want to do anything, uh...

touchy-feely or,
you know, weird, okay?

Define "weird."

Like the Supreme Court
said about p*rn...

you'll know it when you see it.

BECKER: They chose to att*ck
at night under cloud cover

so our drones weren't
operating at %.

And lastly,
a small but well-armed force

att*cked the dam

right as many Iraqis were
breaking their fast for Ramadan.

Their own little Tet Offensive.

Has CIA authenticated

that ransom video?

The IC's down and dirty
assessment is that it's real.

They want their leader, Abu Kaebi,

released from prison in Iraq,

along with , of his
fighters, within hours,

or they'll... destroy the dam.

And what does Prime
Minister Arif say to that?

I spoke with him briefly.

He feels that Iraq has
spilled too much blood

fighting ISIL to give in

to these demands.

Can't argue with him there.

Meanwhile, he's ordered

the evacuation of the
potential flood zone, but...

well, given that the area's so large,

- the effort is...
- Pandemonium.

Yeah.

So...

Iraq wants to stage a raid.

What do the generals think, Gordon?

The dam is not heavily defended, sir,

but it's obviously a
huge installation.

And we have very high confidence

that the enemy has placed
large amounts of expl*sives

down there, by the turbines.

What odds do the planners
give that we can

neutralize the bad guys before they...

blow up the dam?

BECKER: %, sir.

Ten if we leave it to the Iraqis.

And if we fail?

We're talking about a
humanitarian catastrophe

on an... almost unimaginable scale.

So what do we do?

♪

You know,

the Tigris is also dammed

upstream near its source

in Ozbek...

Turkey.

If we could prevail on the Turks

to stop the flow,

it would, at the very least,
lower the water level

downstream... in Iraq.

It would certainly lessen the
damage in the event of a flood.

Do you think Kozlu would go for it?

We're not exactly in a great
place with the Turks right now.

It's hard to imagine

he'd let millions of
his fellow Muslims

die out of spite,
especially during Ramadan.

- Is it? Have you met the man?
- (CHUCKLES)

Maybe Foreign Minister Uzun

could be helpful here.

We could invite him in
for a conference call

with President Kozlu.

Worth a sh*t.

Set it up.

All right.

Meanwhile...

keep banging on m*llitary options.

We get the odds up to - ...

do it.

BECKER: Understood, sir.

Of course we can stop
the flow of the Tigris

from Turkey into Iraq.

Thank you, Mr. President.

The people of Iraq will
owe you a great debt.

They will owe me nothing.

I would merely be doing my duty

as a good neighbor and Muslim.

ELIZABETH: I'm sorry, Mr. President,

but to be clear... you would
stop the Tigris's flow,

or you will stop it?

The United States has
denigrated my government

and our partnership for some time.

I agree, Your Excellency, and I
intend to take these matters up

with the secretary right away.

However, at this moment, perhaps we...

What is it the United States
could do at this moment

that would alleviate some
of these bad feelings,

Mr. President?
We have an election coming up.

But the Council of Europe and the OSCE

insist on having
monitors watch over us.

This is an unacceptable
affront to our sovereignty.

Mr. President, the United
States has no election monitors

headed for Turkey, nor do we plan to.

And we have no control over
what the Europeans do,

and no more power to sway the OSCE

than any other member state,
Turkey included.

When properly motivated,

the United States always has a say.

And now, I must attend

to other matters.

Good day to you all.

What other matters could he have?

The man's on vacation.

Minister Uzun, you must
understand that this...

this demand is something
we literally can't meet.

And he shouldn't be making
any demands at all.

Is he gonna help, or not?

His Excellency has been
agitated for quite some time,

about foreign entities attacking
the legitimacy of our system.

And rightly so.

If you are not prepared to
engage with him on that subject,

perhaps we can find something
of even greater value?

And quickly.

Trying to get the election
monitors kicked out

is obviously BS,
so what does he really want?

Maybe we throw him an economic bone?

A free trade agreement?

No. Kozlu won't find that sexy enough.

Surface-to-air m*ssile batteries,

so they'll cancel their
order with the Russians?

No, the only thing
that he wants from us

is a freer hand to att*ck
the Kurds in Syria.

We're not gonna let him
b*mb our own allies.

He's got to know that.

That's the box he's
trying to put us in.

You know, I got to hand it to Kozlu.

He never misses an opportunity

to show what a singularly
awful person he is.

JAY: And his own people know it.

That's why he's trying to get

these election monitors kicked out.

If this election were
anything close to fair,

he'd lose in a landslide.

- (EXHALES) Yeah.
- All right.

KAT: Ma'am?

Oh, hey, did you connect with
the foreign minister's office?

'Cause we sure could use some advice

on how to move his horrendous boss.

Yeah, they didn't pick up.

What do you mean, they didn't pick up?

Uzun is right over at
the Turkish embassy.

Are you saying they
wouldn't take your call?

I'm saying there was no answer.

So then, I tried calling
the ministry in Ankara.

Also, no answer. I even tried my
own contacts in the government,

and no answer.

So the Turkish government
has gone dark?

What the hell does that mean?

Nothing good.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Well, Blake,
to what do we owe the pleasure?

BLAKE: Oh, Mr. Ambassador.

Please, call me Cyril.

- Oh...
- And you know Quentin and Sameera?

Of course.

Uh, Jay is busy with the secretary.

I'll be doing my best
to fill his shoes.

He sends his apologies.

Well, I'll be expecting a nice
bottle of Scotch from him.

But not too nice,
because it's the note

- that matters.
- The note that matters.

Indeed.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Well.

Uh, to the matter at hand.

Obviously, we're cognizant
of the situation in Iraq,

so we're prepared to scale back

the evening's more festive
elements, should the need arise.

SAMEERA: Wouldn't want the secretary

whooping it up in the face
of a humanitarian crisis.

We prepare for every contingency.

You really do.

CYRIL: Obviously, tonight's guest
of honor is Minister Uzun,

so we're skewing the
meal a bit Turkish.

QUENTIN: To break the fast,

we are serving dates he
brought with him as a gift.

At the same time, we're, of course,

embracing the diversity of
America's Muslim community.

CYRIL: The point being,
we're mending fences,

but we're also very subtly,
and with great respect,

saying to Turkey,

"Here in America, we build bridges."

Well, that is precisely the message

the secretary wants to send.

Uh, she did just have
a few small changes

to the seating chart.

CYRIL: Well, we've only been
working on the existing one

for the past several weeks.

But absolutely, let's throw
it out at the last minute.

I thought you said you
anticipated every contingency.

You can't plan...

for a seating chart change
at a -person dinner.

It's an intricately constructed web

of rank, title, and compatibility.

There are too many permutations.

BOTH: It's mathematically unfeasible.

Tell the secretary that,
of course, we'll find a way.

Now, if you'll excuse us,

we are... quite busy.

Of course.

(GASPS)

Just... Sorry. Sorry.

STEVIE: Seriously, Dad, though,

what am I gonna do?
Uh, I've got yoga options,

meditation, Gregorian chanting.

- (LAUGHS)
- (LAUGHING): It's serious.

Can you imagine Russell chanting?

Oh, it's funny 'cause I'm screwed.

Well, look,

all those practices are just
warm-ups for the real work,

which is the spiritual journey, right?

But Russell strikes
me as the kind of guy

who's spent his entire life
running away from big questions,

so either he'll
eventually confront them,

or he'll drive himself

to an early grave
trying to avoid them.

(SIGHS) No, but thank you for,
like, hashing it out with me.

Okay, I feel bad eating
in front of you.

Are you hungry? Do you want some?

No. I'm fine.

Okay.

But how is that sandwich?

WARE: Elements of the Turkish m*llitary

appear to have risen up
against the Kozlu regime.

There are running g*n battles

on the streets of Ankara and Istanbul.

Is this connected
with Iraq in some way

or do we just have the
worst luck in the world?

They appear to be unrelated.

The coup plotters are broadcasting

on the main television station
that they're fighting

for the return of democracy

and civil society in Turkey.

Where's Kozlu?

WARE: Off the grid, sir.

The coup appears to have been timed

to coincide with his vacation.

Keep me posted.

Sir, if there's no one
in charge in Turkey,

we don't have anyone to negotiate with

about stopping the
Tigris's flow into Iraq.

Then it's all bad options
from here on out.

Prime Minister Arif,
I'm sure you're aware

of the situation in Turkey.

We'd hoped they could help
by stopping the Tigris

on their side of the border,
but now it's...

unclear who's in charge there.

ARIF: I never could have imagined

the day when I would be
hoping for the Turks

to turn off our water supply.

How are the Iraqi people doing?

ARIF: The evacuation is chaotic.

And my cabinet remains
divided on how to proceed.

Is there anything that the
United States can do to help?

Well, we must retake the dam.

BECKER: But Mr. Prime Minister,
the Pentagon has communicated

to your commanders

that such a strike has a
% chance of failure.

Omar, the United States' position

is that you free the t*rrorists

and Iraq lives to fight another day.

ARIF: No! I will not release

a genocidal maniac and ,

of his most hardened
followers into my country.

We are keeping Daesh talking

while we position our
Special Forces units

for a strike tonight.

I agree that you're being
presented an awful choice

between two catastrophes.

But releasing Abu Kaebi and
his men is the lesser.

They are equally bad.

One will just unfold more slowly.

Whatever the odds,

with you or alone,
we are prepared to fight.

And inshallah, we will prevail.

Mr. Prime Minister...

Thank you, Madam Secretary.

Mr. President.

Mr. President, the Joint
Chiefs will push back hard

on sending our troops
on a su1c1de mission.

I understand, Gordon,
but if we leave the Iraqis

to do it, the mission
has no chance at all.

RUSSELL: So maybe we lean on Arif.

thr*aten to cut off aid
unless he capitulates.

He'll lose all legitimacy.

The Shias and the Kurds
will be convinced

this is all some kind of Sunni plot.

And being a Sunni himself,
he'll be seen as complicit.

Sectarian tensions will boil over,

and the central government

will lack the authority
to get it under control.

We'll have no partner in Baghdad.

Better that than the whole
place going underwater.

Gordon, have JSOC coordinate on
planning with the Iraqi Army.

We'll come back at Arif in
a few hours if need be.

Meanwhile, it would be great

if we could find out what the
hell is going on in Turkey.

That'll be all.

You have the eager look of someone

about to sell me something
I am not gonna like.

Is now a bad time?

Well, there's a coup in a country

that houses American
nuclear warheads,

Iraq is looking at a flood
of biblical proportions,

so, sure, let's talk yoga.

Okay. How do you feel about yoga?

I don't like it.

What else?

Tai Chi, very meditative.

Eh, seems fringy.

Literally, hundreds of millions

of Chinese people do it every day.

Do I look Chinese?

- What else?
- Well,

mindful breathing, there's
nothing simpler than that.

Makes me feel like I'm
forgetting how to breathe.

Pass.

Well, maybe that's the issue:

that you can't just sit
still and be with yourself.

What?

I... well, I was talking to my dad

- about this, he said...
- Your dad.

Yeah. He suggested maybe

what you should be doing is, um,
is asking the big questions.

Okay. Well, here's one:

why did you tell your
father about a conversation

I specifically asked you
to keep between us?

I'm sorry. I...

I just... he... he
usually gives really...

Look, it's fine.

I'll take it from here.

Just, um...

close the door on your
way out, will you?

Thank you.

(DOOR CLOSES)

A raid on the dam at this point

is an almost guaranteed disaster.

I continue to think our best hope

is stopping the water in Turkey.

The latest Intel

is that the anti-Kozlu forces

appear to be gaining
ground across the country.

They're attempting to seize m*llitary

and civilian infrastructure.

Are they in control of the Ozbek Dam?

Well, they're active in the east,

so there's a decent chance they are.

But the situation's still
chaotic, and we don't know

- who to talk to.
- And President Kozlu?

Still M.I.A. Minister Uzun's

been holed up at the
Turkish embassy all day.

I'm assuming he's not coming
to the iftar tonight,

which cannot come fast enough...
so to speak.

BLAKE: Actually, his
office said he'll be here,

but only for a short while.

Trying to project
stability to the world.

Good. He seemed

sympathetic to the Iraqis'
plight this morning.

He'd know who to call.

Maybe we can work on him at the iftar.

BLAKE: His office specifically
said he won't discuss

any policy or take
any private meetings

with U.S. officials
without input from...

- his president.
- KAT: Sounds like the security services

loyal to Kozlu aren't taking any
chances about who's on his side.

All right,
we're gonna have to find a way

to get him alone tonight.

Cyril, this place looks amazing.

You've worked another miracle.

That was nothing.

But the seating chart?
Now, that's a miracle.

(CHUCKLES) Well, the
secretary appreciates that.

And she has another request.

Blake, our guests are due to
arrive in less than an hour.

(WHISPERING): I know. Could
I just see you one second?

Over here. Excuse us.

Thanks. (CLEARS THROAT)

What does the secretary need now?

A private pull aside with
Minister Uzun for a few minutes.

You know Turkey's ground rules.

Uzun's stopping by

for a quick grip and grin
with the secretar...

We've already moved the main table

so he'll be able to
leave more discreetly.

Then he's going directly
back to the Turkish embassy.

To even attempt a one-on-one

risks a major diplomatic crisis.

Well, better that than a
major humanitarian crisis,

which is what we're facing
if she doesn't at least try.

Where would she even
have this conversation?

We are still working that out.

(SIGHS)

Far be it from me to
second-guess her, but...

Then don't.

Cyril, she's going to do this.

And we're going to help her, okay?

Good.

Now, Uzun's detail will
remain down in the lobby,

but there's going to be a man
from the embassy with him,

Ahmet Avci.

Part-time attaché, full-time spy.

I know him.

Well, he's going to be
watching Uzun like a hawk.

Somehow we have to separate them.

IMAM (CHANTING):
Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.

MEN: Allahu Akbar.

IMAM: Allahu Akbar.

MEN: Allahu Akbar.

KAT: There's Minister Uzun and Avci.

Hey. Daisy Grant, Matt Mahoney.

CYRIL: Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen,

and welcome.

We're so pleased

that you were all able
to attend this evening.

If you could please

begin to find your way to your seats,

we'd be most appreciative.

Ladies and gentlemen,
the Secretary of State

of the United States of America,
Elizabeth McCord.

ELIZABETH: Thank you.

Ramadan Kareem, everyone.

I know better than to
stand between a group

of hungry fasters and
a delicious buffet,

so I will keep this really brief.

(AUDIENCE CHUCKLES)

Ramadan is a holy month

and a special time for
Muslims across the globe.

It's a time for friends

and families,
for prayer and reflection,

for stepping out of usual routines

to contemplate what's
truly important in life.

Fasting not only facilitates this,

but it also offers a chance
to reflect on the deprivation

of others and to take
compassionate action

to alleviate it, and that's what many

of tonight's honorees have done.

Like Adeela Zadari,

who took our nation's
top science prize

for high school students
home to Plano, Texas.

Adeela says that she loves science

because it offers so many
opportunities to help others.

She and many others
here truly represent

the best of America.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

In closing, I'd like to acknowledge

Foreign Minister Hakan Uzun of Turkey.

Our two nations have been

steadfast partners in
a challenging world

for more than years.

May that partnership
continue to make the world

safer and freer for years to come.

Well, everyone, I know
that I have talked enough.

I wish all of you and your families

a happy and peaceful Ramadan.

Now let's eat.

Thank you for those wonderful
words, Madam Secretary.

And for this lovely occasion.

I truly regret that we cannot stay.

Well, I completely understand.

- PHOTOGRAPHER: Madam Secretary.
- Of course. Oh.

Excuse me, ma'am.

There's an important call for
you from the White House.

Oh. As always, a pleasure, Hakan.

- You as well, Elizabeth.
- I'm so sorry.

Ahmet! Delightful to see you.

You, as well, Ambassador,
but I really...

If I could take just a
moment of your time.

This is Miray.

Like you, she hails from Antalya

and would love to say hello.

As-salaam alaikum. Salaam...

Good evening, Minister.

- Thank you.
- Right this way.

We need to talk, Hakan.

And we don't have much time.

The Ozbek Dam has fallen into
the coup plotters' hands,

and we need someone
to tell them to stop

the Tigris' flow into Iraq.

- You are the person to do that.
- They're traitors.

And besides, I couldn't
legitimately order them

- to do whatever I want. - Hundreds of
thousands of Iraqis could be k*lled.

It is bad enough talking about

- this with you, Elizabeth.
- Millions more

will be displaced,
and they will come to Turkey.

But to conspire with the enemy?

I-I can't.

When you were in the army,

you, you received a
citation for valor, right?

For, for saving a fellow
recruit from drowning.

You are a decent, brave man.

You can do this.

You're asking me to defy my president.

To stop a humanitarian catastrophe

that could engulf the
entire region, yes.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

We are running out of time. Please.

Enjoying your dinner?

Mmm. It's amazing,

the appreciation you can
have for something so basic.

What's that supposed to mean?

What?

Hmm?

I know you know.

No, I don't. I don't know.

My numbers. My bad numbers.

Relaxation.

- "The big questions."
- Oh, look,

Stevie and I were just spitballing.

- I'm sorry that got back to you.
- (SIGHS)

No, who knows?

Maybe you're right.

Clearly, I need some kind
of spiritual... something

if I want to save, if not
my life, my marriage.

So...

you want to have coffee sometime?

Talk about it?

Sure, Russell.

Great. Don't tell Carol I said coffee.

Thank God.

CYRIL: Fingers crossed.

Yeah, indeed.

Thanks again for your help.

- Oh, and about earlier...
- Oh.

You know, when I was a kid,
my dad worked as a dishwasher

at a banquet hall in New Jersey.

He came here from Ghana
with literally $

in his pocket.

When my parents visit
me here at State,

they still get tears in their eyes.

I'm a patriot, Blake.

I believe in this work.

In diplomacy, if you don't
lay the right groundwork

or say things in the right way,

your message just doesn't get through.

Wars have broken out over
simple misunderstandings

or lack of respect.

We sweat those details

so the secretary doesn't have to.

I know.

So does she.

All right. I'll see you at home.

- All right.
- I love you. Bye-bye.

- Hey, Doc.
- Hey.

- What's up?
- The water level

behind the Fakhiri Dam in
Iraq is starting to fall.

Uzun came through.

- Thank God.
- Which brings us to the second thing.

President Kozlu of Turkey
appears to have resurfaced,

encouraging the Turkish
people and m*llitary to resist

the coup plotters and
threatening grave retribution

to anyone who abets them.

Just goes to show,
you can't keep a bad man down.

Mr. President, forces loyal to Kozlu

appear to be gaining ground

across Turkey.

Apparently, the coup plotters

att*cked his vacation
home and missed him

by six minutes.

Am I the only one wishing
they'd been six minutes faster?

Well, at least we got the water
turned off on the Turkish side

of the border for the moment.

What's the latest on
the situation in Iraq?

We have a surprising development, sir.

The dropping water level

behind the Fakhiri Dam has exposed

a long-sealed maintenance entrance

above the intake tunnels

dating back to the dam's construction.

The hostiles holding the dam
don't appear to be aware of it.

JSOC has worked up new plans

for a SEAL team to
approach the dam by water

and enter through that door.

ELIZABETH: Mr. President,

if Kozlu regains control
in Turkey, he's gonna want

to settle scores.

He could start allowing the Tigris

to flow back into Iraq at any time.

RUSSELL: Not to mention

the fact that we're running
hard up to the deadline

the t*rrorists set to blow the dam.

Mr. President,

if we're gonna jump,

we better jump quick.

What odds of success

are the planners giving this new raid?

% at best, sir.

Do it.

Preparing to deploy stun grenades.

Then breach.

(SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY)

(g*nsh*t)

(g*nsh*t)

SOLDIER: Man down. Man down.

(g*nshots)

Fakhiri Dam is secure, sir.

Our team caught the enemy
unaware and neutralized them.

All the expl*sives
have been deactivated.

They're bringing in
engineers to make sure

that none of the dam's
critical systems

were compromised in the firefight.

Casualties?

Two SEALs KIA, three more wounded.

Iraqi Special Forces KIA as well.

Well, it, uh...

it sounds like the
coup failed in Turkey.

President Kozlu is firmly
back in charge, I'm assuming?

Yes, sir.

And the purge has already begun.

He's rounding up thousands of troops,

government officials,
ordinary civilians.

Anyone he suspects of disloyalty.

What about our man Uzun?

Along with hundreds of other diplomats

around the globe,
he's been stripped of his title

and is being recalled to
Turkey. He leaves today.

WARE: We think he's on a short list

- for execution, sir.
- For what?

The crime of saving
millions of Iraqis?

Which we pushed him to do.

We should offer him asylum, sir.

You want to keep him here in defiance

of his own government's orders?

Things were already at a
bad pass with Turkey.

Now this?

Yes, Mr. President.

Now this.

(WOMAN SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY OVER P.A.)

Hakan Uzun?

Yes, I am he.

You are under suspicion of being
in violation of CFR Title ,

Subtitle B, Part ,

Sub-part Fruits and Vegetables,
Section - .

I'm sorry. Did you say
"fruits and vegetables"?

We have evidence that
you and your family

conspired to import a
large quantity of dates

in contravention of Department
of Agriculture regulations.

We're going to need you
to come with us, sir.

But this is absurd.

They were a gift for the
secretary of state.

He is the foreign minister of Turkey

and, as such, has diplomatic immunity.

It's, uh, my understanding

that he's been relieved
of that position.

He's not going anywhere.

I'm gonna need you to step aside, sir.

Gentlemen, we're not going

to have a sh**t over some dates.

_

_

This really is quite ridiculous.

_

- Ah.
- (DOOR CLOSES)

Madam Secretary,

what is the meaning of all this?

Minister Uzun...

although I suppose after this morning,

I can just call you Hakan...

I see you've met Officer
Burke from Customs.

He's going

to put you and your wife under
arrest on smuggling charges.

You cannot be serious.

And then you can officially

request political asylum
in the United States.

I'm fully prepared to
plead my case in Ankara.

Well, I don't think

your president is fully
prepared to hear it.

Dozens of government
officials have already been

summarily ex*cuted.

I'm a patriot! I never
supported the coup.

Neither did many of them.

You're more than a patriot, Hakan.

You're a hero.

The entire world owes you
a debt of gratitude.

The U.S. means to honor it.

If you do this, you're risking
a major breach with Turkey.

There'll be grave repercussions.

We know.

Then, on behalf of my
wife and son and myself,

I thank you, Elizabeth.

No. Thank you, Hakan.

Now go get arrested.

(RUSSELL SIGHS)

I disagree with your diagnosis.

Good morning to you, too, Russell.

I don't need to ask what
the meaning of life is,

'cause I already know.

You do? Well, hey, I'm all ears.

Be good to the people you love,

work hard at the
things you care about.

Well, that's great.

Except it's k*lling you.

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

Look, I know I need to relax.

And I am a control freak,
so I'll admit

the idea of death coming
for us at any moment,

then it's all just over
doesn't thrill me either.

Coffee, sir?

No, thanks.

You know what? Yes.

Thank you.

Russell, we're all bound up

in our ego, and our ego
definitely doesn't like

the idea that our entire life

on this earth is just a tiny,

insignificant eye
blink of cosmic time.

- This is not making me feel better.
- Well...

Ever since my heart att*ck,
everyone's been after me

to "slow down, focus on what matters."

I'm not built like that.

'Cause you know what matters? Work.

(PHONE CHIRPS)

Who would you be without it?

Without that?

I told you, I don't do metaphysics.

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

I just try to... move forward.

You're just a shark that doesn't
know it's in the water,

like the rest of us.

- You're losing me, Professor.
- (SIGHS)

Look, none of us knows
what our true essence is.

And those brief moments where
we maybe get a glimpse are

because we've somehow managed
to transcend our ego.

Those small moments create

a space so that we can
ask big questions.

So how do I do that if I hate
everything that does that?

(LAUGHING): Okay, well, I mean,

has there ever been any
non-work-related activity

that you found completely absorbing?

(SIGHS) I don't know.

When I was a kid,
I used to make model airplanes,

you know, from kits?

I guess I liked that.

What kind of planes?

World w*r II mostly.

P- Lightning, B- .

(LAUGHING): Spitfire.

My favorite was the Corsair.

Corsair?!

That's the plane that made me
want to be a fighter pilot.

- No kidding?
- Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

What did you like about
making model planes?

That you had to be
organized and precise,

have the right tools.

Be able to see how all
the pieces fit together.

And if you stuck with it,

the plane that you saw in your mind

was the plane you saw on the table.

Why don't you make 'em anymore?

'Cause I'm a grown man with a job.

What are you even saying here...

that I'm gonna find God
in a model airplane?

It's good a place to start as any.

And if you don't find God,

maybe you could settle
for... I don't know...

saving your marriage.

Something to think about anyway.

(BEEPING)

(CHIMES)

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

I didn't even tell her what
to get. She just knew.

ELIZABETH: I know that
I make impossible

demands sometimes,
but I hope that you know

how much I appreciate how

resourcefully you've always met them.

That's very kind of you, ma'am.

So I take it you won't be

joining our team after all?

She didn't have to tell me what
was going on. I just knew.

I love the work that
you all do, but I...

Well, I just don't
think I could keep up.

(BOTH LAUGH)

You've out-Blaked Blake, Cyril.

Well, for what it's worth, I disagree.

We'd have been honored to have you.

Thank you.

But I'm happy where I am.

(SIGHS)

(WHISPERING): Too bad you can't stay.

Ticktock.

(BLAKE AND ELIZABETH
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

- Ma'am?
- Yeah.

Ma'am, there was an att*ck

on our Kurdish partners
in Syria this morning.

It came from the Turkish
side of the border.

Well, honestly, I thought the
payback would be even worse.

The attackers were
Russian mercenaries.

Wait a minute. Are you telling me

that Kozlu allowed Turkey to
be used as a staging ground

for a m*llitary operation by the
Russians against a U.S. ally?

Wow.

He's going to come to
regret that pretty quickly.

Ma'am, the Russians already do.

We had trainers embedded
with the Kurds.

When they came under att*ck,
they called in air strikes.

How many Russians were k*lled?

They're still counting the bodies,

but it's in the hundreds.

This isn't gonna end well.

No, it isn't.

This fight with Turkey could end up

tanking our relationship
with Russia, too.